On the brink of the annual session of the United Nations General Assembly, an online international summit, entitled “Trans-Atlantic Summit on Iran Policy, Time to Hold the Iranian Regime Accountable,” brought together Iranians in various countries around the world from 10,000 locations.

Among the personalities who addressed the summit were 30 bipartisan U.S. lawmakers from the House and the Senate, including Senator Ted Cruz, Senator Roy Blunt, Senator Marco Rubio, Senator Bob Menendez, and dignitaries like Rudy Giuliani, former New York City mayor, General James Jones, National Security Advisor to President Obama (2009-2010), Newt Gingrich, 50th Speaker of the United States House of Representatives, Joseph Lieberman, former U.S. Senator, as well as a delegation of U.K. lawmakers, and Amb. Giulio Terzi, former Foreign Minister of Italy.

Mrs. Maryam Rajavi, the President-elect of the National Council of Resistance of Iran (NCRI) and the keynote speaker of the summit, paid tribute to Navid Afkari, a rebellious national hero recently executed by the regime and said: “Faced with executions and massacres, the people of Iran urge the United Nations, and the U.N. Security Council, in particular, to restore snapback sanctions stipulated in the six U.N. resolutions against the clerical regime in Iran. Otherwise, Khamenei will continue to ravage the nation as his regime’s survival depends on murder and suppression. If Khamenei were to stop executions, he would lose control of the situation, and uprisings simmering in the depths of Iranian society would erupt and overthrow the mullahs’ religious fascism.”

Speakers in the summit demanded justice for over 30,000 MEK and other activists, political prisoners massacred in 1988. They urged an end to the policy of appeasement and demanded those who ordered and carried out this great crime, who currently occupy high positions in the regime, to be brought to justice.
Former U.S. Senator Joseph Lieberman joined to the summit. In his remarks, Senator Lieberman said, “The regime in Iran will not change, and therefore, we must change the regime in Iran.  And that is what we mean when we say, “Freedom for the people of Iran.”  The sanctions that we have applied have to be extended.  The arms embargo cannot be allowed to expire.”

Joseph Lieberman, former U.S. Senator

Mrs. Rajavi, thank you for your leadership, for your principle, for your compassion, and for your belief in freedom and your patriotism to the people of Iran.  Thanks to the NCRI, the MEK, and the OIAC.  And thanks particularly to the freedom fighters in Iran, the resistance.  These are the people who are the real heroes.  They are taking their place in history alongside those who fought the American Revolution and the French Revolution, those who opposed fascism and Nazism in the last century, and communism as well.  They are the fighters on the front lines of freedom against the most serious oppressor of human rights in the world today—the government of Iran.

My friends, as you and the NCRI know, we have tried everything to change the behavior of the regime in Iran.  And we—it’s time for a conclusion.  The regime in Iran will not change, and therefore, we must change the regime in Iran.  And that is what we mean when we say, “Freedom for the people of Iran.”  The sanctions that we have applied have to be extended.  The arms embargo cannot be allowed to expire.  We need to convince our allies in Europe to join us in this critically important human rights effort.

Now, I want to speak to you about American politics, perhaps a little bit different than what others have said.  I’m a Democrat.  The first thing I want to say is, “Thank you, President Trump and your administration for withdrawing from the Iran Nuclear Agreement, for snatching victory from the jaws of defeat, and for showing how, oh, how irresponsible, how lawless, what a terrible deal that was.  I appreciate it.”  And that the five years in which, or a little less, in which that agreement was in effect, the Iranians constantly violated it.  They continued their nuclear weapons program.  They used the money not to help the people of Iran, but to support the Quds force, the IRGC, the besiege, and the people, the terrorists in Syria, Lebanon, Iraq, Libya, and Gaza.  So, this has given us a chance for victory for freedom which is America’s cause. 

And now, I want to say a word about the Democrats.  I know there’s an election this year in America.  Some of you may have heard.  And some people may be worried about what happens if the Democrats come to power.  I want to try to give you a bit of encouragement.  I’m a Democrat, and you know how long has been my support of freedom for the people of Iran and opposition to this regime. 

There are many more like me in the Democratic party.  You’ve seen Democratic members of Congress address you today.  And probably the most recent proof is in May of this year, 387 of the 435 members of the U.S. House of Representatives wrote a statement in support of the extension of the arms embargo, and a great majority of Democrats there in the House of Representatives supported that statement.  So, you have bipartisan support in Congress.  But I will say this about Vice President Biden. 

I served with him for 24 years in the U.S. Senate.  He is a supporter of human rights in the world.  He was at the head of a lot of the efforts on behalf of the people of what we used to call the captive nations lived within the former Soviet Union, the totalitarianism of that group.  I fought side by side with him against the aggression and genocide, against Muslims in Bosnia during by Serbia, during the period in the early ‘90s, so I have hope that when—if he becomes president, he will understand what is on the line here, is consistent with who he is and also that we will be able to convince him that the Iran today is not the Iran of five years ago. 

They don’t deserve to be negotiated with.  You can’t trust them.  They proved that in the way they responded to the Iran Nuclear Agreement.  And look, as General Keane said, at what is happening in the Middle East, because America and our allies have gotten tough on Iran.  Nations that previously were at war with one another, which had no diplomatic relations, are coming together across barriers that need to be broken. 

Once the Iran regime falls, the beneficiaries will not just be the people of Iran who will finally be given their freedom, and the NCRI will play a lead role in bringing that about.  The beneficiaries will be the people of the world, and the people of the Middle East.  Aggression by Iran will end.  Support of terrorism by Iran will end.  And the people of Iran across national boundaries will join together in a new union that will bring peace and prosperity to that critically important section of the world. 

So, the last time I spoke to you, I used a word that I learned when I was in Ashraf 3 last year, and I use it again.  Hâzer.  Hâzer, meaning, “We’re ready.”  And this time I want to point it to, directly to the heroes, the resistance fighters in Iran.  And when we say hâzer, we are saying we are ready to support you in your uprising.  We will not stand by mute as you take the lead supported by the NCRI and MEK to bring about the change for which we all dream and have worked in Iran.  So, I say again, hazer.